Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius took part in the European Union's (EU) Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 12 October, which focused on the situation in Syria and migration, Lithuania's MFA said.

Lithuania's foreign minister pointed out that in order to resolve the Syrian conflict through political means, it was necessary to unite and coordinate actions of the European Union, USA, and all the countries in the region. The minister stressed that Russia, which had taken unilateral action in pursuit of its own objectives, did not contribute to the global fight against Daesh (ISIS) terrorists and that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could not be part of the future of this country.

Linkevičius also said that the migration crisis was a long-term challenge, which could be overcome only together and in solidarity, responsibly cooperating both within the EU and in a global context. According to the foreign minister, the EU should actively engage in the conflict resolution process in the Middle East and North Africa, because this is an important step toward addressing the root causes of migration. It is equally important to support and help third countries, which are currently taking in the most refugees per capita, especially Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and the Western Balkan countries.